Jade
Chapter thirty
Sunday at the Hayes' home is my new favorite scent. Coop and I make eye contact in the foyer, and pause, breathing it in. I can't cook for shit, so we both take full advantage of every meal we eat here.
We follow the scent trail to the kitchen where soft music plays from a speaker on the counter.
Charlie looks up from the pot of marinara she's stirring and smiles. Her smile is always warm and welcoming. It's like a hug you didn't know you needed. Cooper goes in for the real thing though, wrapping his little arms around her waist. She pauses her stirring to give him a squeeze.
"I'm so glad you guys are here," she says. "I haven't seen you since Thanksgiving."
"Shit, I forgot your containers, sorry," I apologize. "Coop and I ate Thanksgiving leftovers for most of the week, thank you again."
"I imagine you're all turkey'ed out." She laughs. "Good thing it's spaghetti night."
"What can I help with?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "Nothing for now. When Liam and Mateo get back from the gym, we can start the water for the pasta."
"Where's Addie?" Coop asks, looking around as if she's hiding behind a stool.
"She had to work today, but she should be home soon," Charlie tells him.
He nods and puts his ear buds in, then heads to the living room where he plops on the couch.
"I've never seen a kid do that like he does," Charlie says.
I raise a brow and take a seat on a stool at the island.
"The way he zones out to music, how he doesn't need to do anything else," she explains. "He doesn't play on his phone or fidget. He simply listens."
"Music has always been my safe space," I say, honestly. "I guess I passed that on to him."
She takes a deep breath as if there's something more she wants to say but instead picks a few basil leaves off the plant in the window above the sink. When she turns back around, her eyes are wet with tears.
I open my mouth to say something, but she holds up a finger to stop me.
"Jade, I want you to listen to me. It's important, okay?"
The tone of her voice is enough to make me lean forward, hanging on every word.
"No matter what. No. Matter. What." She punctuates each word, as if trying to brand it in my brain.
"This will always be a safe space for you and Cooper.
Tomorrow, five, ten years from now. This home, I…
I don't know how much Addie has told you about me, but I get it.
I can't pretend to know what you need a safe space from, but I understand needing one.
I had one once, and it changed my life. To be honest, I don't think I'd be standing here right now otherwise.
" Her body stiffens, and she swallows as she makes eye contact with me.
"You ever need anything, you just call or walk through that door. "
I nod, it's all I can do. But somehow, it's enough.
She smiles and wipes her tears away. Addie hasn't told me everything about her parents, but I know enough.
Enough that I trusted them before I ever met them.
Enough to know that her mom and I, while not the same, have threads that bind us together.
The sound of the door opening startles us both, and Charlie waves at her eyes.
"Can you um…" She points to the pot. "So I can, you know?"
I do know.
What I don't know is if the marinara is supposed to be bubbling the way it is.
The twitchiness that once signaled Mateo's presence has since become butterflies.
When I lift my head from the pot, they flutter into a frenzy.
One side of his mouth lifts in a soft smile, the one he gives me when no one is looking.
It's like a silent declaration just for me, except I can't have it.
I make a face, sticking out my tongue.
He chuckles, and Liam walks in behind him.
"Smells good in here," Liam says.
Charlie emerges from the hall. Her face has lost its puffiness, and she smiles broadly.
"Oh good, you guys are home. We can start the water for the pasta now," she says and looks at the clock on the oven. "I thought Addie would be home before you guys, hopefully she gets home soon."
Liam pulls Charlie to his side and kisses her on the cheek.
"What are the chances I have time for a quick shower?" he asks.
She pushes him away from her, crinkling her nose. "Please do us all the favor."
Laughter fills the kitchen.
"All right, Mom," Mateo says, washing his hands. "Put us to work."
At Charlie's instruction, I fill a pot with water and Mateo gathers salad fixings. Cooper pokes his head in, sees Mateo and takes a seat on a stool. They fist bump, and Mateo slides the salad spinner toward him. Coop pushes down on the top, and the lettuce spins and spins.
Kind of like my head lately.
"So kid, how's that new fancy school?"
"I haven't gotten in trouble yet," Coop answers.
"Good shit, kid." Mateo high-fives him and raises a brow. "But what do you mean yet?"
"I've only been there a week. Geez, give it time."
"Cooper," I warn.
"Kidding," he says before filling Mateo and Charlie in on some new friends he's made.
It's been amazing so far, but it still feels too good to be true and I worry.
A lot. What if it was a mistake, and the scholarship gets ripped from under him?
What if he doesn't make good friends? Am I putting pressure on him to grow up faster by letting him go or am I giving him the right tools to succeed?
I shake my head.
Enjoy the moment, Jade.
Coop laughs and Mateo throws a cucumber at him.
I missed whatever happened, too caught up in my own head.
But it's hard not to miss the bond the two of them have formed.
They laugh and joke, similar to Coop and Addie, but there's something else there too.
And if I think about it too hard, I might screw it all up.
Coop deserves someone like Mateo in his corner.
I'm spiraling, and I can't tell if it's good or bad or somewhere in between. Everything is so fucking confusing. Maybe I need another apple session.
Mateo catches me staring and winks.
"Dude," Addie says walking into the kitchen.
I jump, startled. Yup, I need to clear my head somehow because I didn't hear her come in the house.
"Fucking, Kevin," she continues when no one acknowledges her.
"What happened?" Charlie asks. "Wait, is this Mateo's Kevin?"
Addie plucks an olive out of the small bowl on the counter and pops it in her mouth.
"Mm-hmm," she confirms as she chews.
"He's not my Kevin," Mateo says. "But yes, that Kevin."
"So what did he do now?" I ask, fully invested. What can I say? For someone who doesn't want other people in her business, I'm a nosy bitch.
"He hasn't been bad since you left," she says, gesturing to me. "I think Gus had a talk with him and Janessa. But today, oh my God, he was a miserable prick. So not only did I have to serve the asshole, but then…then I had to hear all about how the two of you were caught being cozy in Baltimore."
"I thought that died down?" I ask, but I'm not sure who I'm asking. Mateo or Addie?
It's Mateo who answers.
"It did, mostly." He shrugs. "But rumors have claws, and they like to dig in."
"Well, some rumors are rooted in truth," Addie says, side-eying her brother. "And Kevin seems to think this rumor is the hottest truth to come out since his scandal." She lets out a sigh. "So he's telling everyone with a pulse you're using my brother for money."
"What the hell?" I ask, crossing my arms. I fucking hate that dude.
"Ignore him," Mateo says, looking from Addie to me. I don't miss the apologetic look on his face when he gets to me.
And when I turn to Addie, I don't think she did either.
"Fucking, Kevin," Coop says.
"Yeah," Addie agrees, tilting her head to the side, but not looking away from me. "Fucking, Kevin."
Dinner is delicious as always, and my crazy smart kid uses the time to tell everyone all about his new school. How nice the teachers are, and how much the kids enjoy learning. He even raves about gym class, which is beyond my comprehension. He's always hated gym.
"And Mateo, guess what?" Coop asks.
"What's up, punk?"
I have to admit, I hated the nickname at first. Every time it left Mateo's mouth I wanted to smack him, but now I see it for what it is.
Endearment—and it pulls at my heartstrings.
The ones that aren't supposed to be there, because this is just sex.
I catch Addie's eye and offer her a small smile. Just sex.
"I'm taking extra classes after school starting next week. Twice a week I get to take a video game coding class."
"That's awesome," Mateo says and fist bumps Coop. To me he says, "And no camera required."
It takes me a second, but then I laugh.
"No, no camera needed."
"Why would you need a camera?" Coop asks.
"No reason, kiddo. A joke between friends," I say.
I know it was the wrong thing to say, when Addie stabs at the cherry tomato in her salad so hard, seeds and juice spray across the table onto Liam's face.
But maybe it was the right thing to say, because laughter erupts around the table and the air seems a little lighter.